![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.livabl.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Design-an-expensive-kitchen-on-a-budget-compressed.jpg\")
<\/a>Luxury kitchen designed by Sara Bederman<\/a>. Photo: James Bombales\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\nWe sourced alternatives and got expert tips for designing a luxury kitchen for less at Improve Canada<\/a> \u2014 the largest home improvement centre in Canada. Conveniently located two stop lights north of Toronto in Vaughan, Improve Canada offers a one-stop shopping experience for all of your renovation needs. There are over 350 showrooms under one roof (40+ in the kitchen category alone<\/a>) where you can easily spend half a day sifting through everything from stone to flooring to cabinetry to get ideas for the kitchen of your dreams.<\/p>\n Marble is the quintessential stone used in luxury kitchens. Unfortunately, real marble can easily blow your budget \u2014 especially if you\u2019re opting for a variety that\u2019s richly veined or rare. Fortunately, with advancements in technology, there are tons of composites that replicate the look.<\/p>\n \u201cThe man-made products that look very close to marble are porcelain and quartz,\u201d says Paya Tavassoli, co-founder at Surfaces For All Purposes (SAP)<\/a> within Improve Canada. \u201cQuartz has been around for much longer. Fewer people are using porcelain for countertops because it\u2019s not as well known within this industry.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite being less well-known, porcelain has become a rising star among architects and designers. Tavassoli carries MaxFine Calacatta \u2014 an Italian porcelain that he says mimics the look of marble better than any other product out there. \u201cIf you want to buy a real Calacatta, you\u2019re going to spend $140 to $160 per square-foot. This will run you up to $10,000 for one slab versus $1,000 for one porcelain slab that looks almost identical.\u201d<\/p>\n Porcelain is also much easier to maintain. Since marble is porous and absorbs stains, you will have to reseal it every four to six months to protect it from regular wear and tear. \u201cWhen you put the porcelain down you don\u2019t have to worry about it and it\u2019s a fraction of the cost,\u201d says Tavassoli.<\/p>\n In all, there are 21 tile and stone showrooms at Improve Canada.<\/a><\/p>\n Custom cabinets are the cornerstone of any luxury kitchen, but the price tag can easily gobble your budget. If you\u2019re not quite ready to replace your whole kitchen, one solution is to upgrade the cabinet doors instead.<\/p>\n Vangarde Cabinet Design & Factory Inc.<\/a> sells doors and panels that are compatible with IKEA kitchens \u2014 with contemporary, traditional and modern styles and over 60 colours to choose from. They\u2019re made right here in Canada with materials sourced from Italy and Germany. \u201cWe do kitchen installations, we do design. We do everything that a kitchen company would do. But instead, we\u2019re using the IKEA carcass as a skeleton and the base of the foundation of the design,\u201d explains Vangarde\u2019s owner, Sam Argentino. You can book an appointment online to sit down with one of Vangarde\u2019s designers to look at samples, ask questions and get inspiration. Pro tip: It\u2019s best to secure an appointment with all of the showrooms that pique your interest in advance since the local businesses located within Improve Canada can sometimes be found doing a service call or an installation for a homeowner like yourself.<\/p>\n Vangarde makes it easy to make your dream kitchen a reality. You can either buy the doors\/panels and install them yourself or they can ship the IKEA cabinets pre-assembled with Vangarde\u2019s doors. If you choose the latter option, you have the option to get a soft-close feature \u2014 a nice touch in a high-end kitchen that you won\u2019t find with standard IKEA hinges.<\/p>\n With the rise of more minimal kitchens, one trend that\u2019s grown in popularity is ditching upper cabinets in favour of open-shelving. This look can save you money and deliver a high-end look and feel (especially if you invest in great cabinets and custom doors below).<\/p>\n If you\u2019d rather not splurge on hardwood flooring, there are some affordable vinyl options that mimic the appearance of wood and are just as durable and low maintenance.<\/p>\n Remodel Canada Carpet One<\/a> is a one-stop shop within Improve Canada for all of your renovation needs. If you\u2019re looking to get the look of hardwood for less, they suggest trying a relatively new flooring option, luxury vinyl. Depending on the style you choose, you could save as much as $4 per square-foot compared to similar hardwood styles. Considering the average kitchen size is around 300 square feet, this means major savings.<\/p>\n With over 23 flooring showrooms at Improve Canada<\/a>, you can ask about a variety of flooring options and installation styles \u2014 including laying the luxury vinyl planks in a herringbone pattern to achieve an ultra-luxe look.<\/p>\n For the walls, there are many budget-friendly design options that will add extra impact. Plain subway tiles are timeless, affordable and easy to mix and match. They can also be installed in unique patterns, like chevron or herringbone (get inspiration at over 21 showrooms in the tile and stone category<\/a>).<\/p>\n On a simple, classic outfit, a few pieces of jewelry can quickly elevate the whole look. The same goes for details in a luxury kitchen, like investing in eye-catching, high-quality hardware and statement lighting.<\/p>\n Chandeliers and pendants over a kitchen island are the perfect accessory to not only brighten your space, but add some mood lighting and unexpected personality. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t try to save money on a chandelier or a pendant above the kitchen island,\u201d says Anna Zhilkin, a designer at Sosna Inc.<\/a>, an award-winning renovation company. \u201cLighting is the key feature, like a cherry on a cake. It always creates a focal point and will catch your eye immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n Try including a statement pendant light, wall sconces or under-cabinet task lighting. At Improve Canada, there are 13 showrooms specializing in lighting and electrical.<\/a> If you want a modern, traditional or contemporary feel, you can source a light fixture that will deliver the right look (and get the installation taken care of, too).<\/p>\n Kitchen renovations are notoriously expensive and time-consuming. When you visit Improve Canada<\/a>, you can get the kitchen of your dreams without blowing the budget \u2014 right down to the finest details. You can start your journey online <\/a>and book appointments with showrooms to get started.<\/p>\n With clever planning and savvy shopping, it\u2019s possible to design a luxury kitchen without blowing your budget. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":194223,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2019-07-17T19:00:37Z","apple_news_api_id":"37970348-32e4-424a-b802-f0ff78aa7ba3","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2020-04-21T17:18:48Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AN5cDSDLkQkq4AvD_eKp7ow","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"middle","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":["https:\/\/u48r14.digitalhub.com\/sections\/09b86915-7d2b-3acd-915b-b215002d01b7"],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11115],"tags":[11113,11112,11162],"coauthors":[8648],"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\n1. Swap natural stone for porcelain or quartz.<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Max<\/em>Fi<\/em>ne Calacatta available at<\/span><\/i> Surfaces For All Purposes.<\/span><\/i><\/a> Photo: @<\/span><\/i>fmg_fabbricamarmigraniti\/Instagram. <\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n2. Upgrade cabinets with custom doors and panels.<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Custom doors and panels from Vangarde<\/a>. Photo:\u00a0@<\/span>VangardeCabinet\/Instagram<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n3. From the floor to the walls, there are opportunities to save.<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Luxury Vinyl Flooring. Photo:\u00a0@asliceofsuffolk\/Instagram<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n4. Luxury is all in the details.<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Pendant Light Fixture at Tubicen Lighting <\/a>within Improve Canada.\u00a0Photo: @<\/span>tubicenlighting\/Instagram<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/a>Photo: 350+ showrooms located within Improve Canada. <\/span><\/i>Book an appointment with a showroom<\/a>.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n